The Princess And The Red Bandit
by Faeriessence
Summary: "Alexandria. I never really noticed it before, but, there's something strangely surreal about her. I think you know that more than I do."-REVISED


**REVISED- Feb 1, 2015**

* * *

><p><strong>So I have just recently watched this unique piece of art which is 'the Fall'.<strong>

**Honestly, I wasn't sure of the direction of this one-shot but I just wanted to make it due to something I was rooting for. Now, after reading, you'd probably be asking why I would want anything between Roy Walker and Nurse Evelyn. I know that it's typical and it would have distracted all of us from the truth behind this remarkable film but anyway, it's a fanfiction. So yeah. Take it anyway you like.**

Nearly one and a half months had passed since she fell. Since that very day that brave little bandit had fallen.

She had paid the price for stealing the morphine he had been so desperately trying to take. And the painful reminder was the bandages wrapped around her small head.

Roy had always regretted what he had done. Not because a sense of morality told him it was wrong but because in the process, his little friend got hurt. The stuntman had often thought of the incident and sometimes came across the nonexistent reality of Alexandria not being around anymore. It scared him a whole lot more than what had scared him in the recent months-with his job, his long gone fiancée and of course his idiotic and bold attempt to impress said ex-lover.

For weeks, they were both placed under probation and were separated from each other. The longer it took, the more restless both Roy and Alexandria grew. At such time, Roy became persistent; he begged the staff to allow the little girl to visit him. Meanwhile Alexandria had had several attempts of sneaking out of her own ward.

Fortunately, time was all it took. Eventually, the hospital staff was convinced that it _was_ Alexandria that saved him. Knowing the true nature of their relationship, and seeing that the young man no longer had the desire to kill himself, the staff gave in.

So here she was, sitting next to the stuntman in his hospital bed- grinning innocently with all that missing baby teeth. Roy admitted that he loved the little girl. And this little girl had finally given him a reason to live. It had devastated him when he saw his latest act-his bold yet disastrous stunt, had been cut off from the film. He worked hard to get into the damn business. Yet it was always easy for business to overlook that. For a time, he felt loss, anger, hurt.

Then he _let it go_.

Roy didn't want to let negative things bother him now, especially not when Alexandria was reading to him some of the cut-out notes she had been throwing into his window the past few weeks. The storyteller smiled and this time, it was him who was listening to the little girl's tall tales, not at all minding the others in the ward and not at all noticing the nurse that had been eyeing the pair for a few days now.

…

It was time for her shift.

She looked into the mirror and picked up the old lipstick she had often carried in her pocket. She twisted the little tube and was about to rub her finger on the red colouring when she realized that something, rather_, someone_ was missing.

Nurse Evelyn found herself to be alone in the nurse's quarters. Strange, but supposedly Alexandria would have visited her today. She also noticed that the little girl no longer sent her any of her little letters.

It was no big deal really. Patients come and go; she shouldn't be all too concerned about this particular one.

Yet, she did grow fond of Alexandria, and the sudden distance between them made her curious. Before, the little daydreamer would do all she could to keep a good conversation but now, all there was between them were brief moments where they exchanged a few sentences; most of the time it ended with Alexandria scampering off to the side of the building. Each morning, right on schedule, Evelyn would go check on the children's ward, just in time for her to catch the girl getting ready to go out the door every time.

"_Alexandria, no running. I don't want you to hurt your head again." She said, stopping Alexandria in her tracks._

"_No, I won't. That was only one time. And it was soo dark." The tot insisted. She was jumpy, obviously eager to dash out of the ward that very moment._

Evelyn did not bother to ask why at the time. But why didn't she? To put it simply, she didn't really care.

Being with the little girl had always been more or less, a routine. The nurse had met many others her age and Alexandria, well, she was just another patient to Evelyn. She did not like to think so, but she _had _taken their relationship for granted.

It was Alexandria who would go look for her and tell her to read her letters. The same little girl who would sneak into the staff's rooms and ask her a whole bunch of silly things and the same one who would ask her to hold her at night.

So the lack of this little chipper's presence got her thinking.

_That spunky child had always talked about a certain patient somewhere in the hospital._

Alexandria had once mentioned a friend of hers in the other ward. Evelyn had once told her she would come and see this 'Roy'. But she never did. It was not a promise she expected herself to keep. At the time, it was just an effort to get the little girl to listen.

It looked like she would be keeping that promise after all.

…

Evelyn decided to go into his ward. She was not stationed there but she easily blended with the nurses and residents who were. The young woman snuck a peak at the pair that was busy talking, keeping to themselves. She made sure they would not notice, glancing once in a long while. The two would smile, laugh, and by the looks of it, _Roy_ was telling Alexandria stories. She could see it in the way his expression changes and the hand gestures he made. Those two were by far an odd pairing, Evelyn mused. It was as though they had life's greatest secrets all to themselves as they spoke in their hushed tones. Evelyn couldn't help but smile. It was truly endearing and all the more fascinating.

Yes, she had heard about the stuntmen and his tendencies, and about what he had made Alexandria do. She was not at all interested with the talks that went around the hospital but it was a wonder to see this innocent little girl helping him recover and cope with whatever problems that weighed down on his soul. Whatever happened between them must have been_ something_.

…

Days passed and she had gone unseen. The nurse knew not to enter the room too often. She was sure Alexandria would call her attention once the little girl spotted her. Evelyn had resulted to passing by the ward more often, taking side glances at the window near Roy's bed.

_This was silly._

Evelyn had not the slightest clue as to why she was carrying out her observation. All she knew was that she was curious. Alright, _intrigued_. Sometimes, she would stop in her tracks to listen to them, hidden behind the window, and at some point, she wanted to hear the stories too, but she had duties to take care of.

For _weeks_, she kept a close eye on the two and not once did they notice.

But that was until she came into the ward with a group of staff one day and she had stared for _far _too long.

She had been helping out with the linen that needed changing for an incoming patient. She looked up and saw Alexandria and Roy casually lounging in his bed. The man was creating hand gestures that she could not decipher but she was sure it was another one of his fantasy stories for it made the little girl smile widely. It seemed she couldn't stop herself from trying to make out what he was saying to the child. Her curiosity got the best of her and consequently, she did not go unnoticed this time.

It was Roy who saw her. His wide happy grin faded slightly as their eyes locked. Evelyn, who had been too drawn in to their inaudible conversation, was not so quick to hide her stare. She felt a small hint of embarrassment and looked down, continuing with the work. Hurriedly, she finished and walked out, not looking back at the man who watched her take her leave.

That night was her shift at the children's ward.

All the patients had been tucked in their beds, all except one. As usual, Alexandria was sitting up on hers, looking out the window.

"Alexandria, it's time to get some rest." Evelyn said, a little hesitant at first.

"Roy told me he saw you today." The little girl replied flatly, still fixated on the farm outside.

Evelyn was surprised. But she smirked right after. "Yes. I was in his ward to help out with the other nurses." She smiled as she held the little girl's shoulders and pulled her into a sleeping position.

"Do you want to hear the stories too?" Alexandria said as she rubbed her eyes.

Evelyn's smile widened at her humble offer. "Maybe some other time, alright? Right now, you should sleep so your head will get better." She said as she gently tilted the little girl's chin upwards. Alexandria simply nodded, staring at the woman in what seemed so profoundly.

Then the nurse saw it. The spirit in her eyes, the story behind them. She was five years of age, yet the woman saw what felt was an old soul, filled with timeless mystery. It left Evelyn perplexed; her smile soon faded into a straight line as their eyes locked.

This little girl had managed to change a man's life.

"You know, Roy is very lucky to have a friend like you." She spoke silently. The little girl was on the verge of sleep, but she managed to turn her head up with a 'hm'.

"I mean, I've heard about how he's getting better because of you." She said as her smile returned once more.

"But all we do is tell stories." She replied drowsily.

"You're a brave little girl Alexandria. But you got to also be more careful, little missy." She reproved, giggling in the end as she gently placed a hand on the girl's head. Alexandria smiled in acknowledgement and finally closed her eyes, giving Evelyn the chance to take her leave.

By the time she had reached the doorway, she looked back, seeing Alexandria facing the other way, now asleep.

"Evelyn."

The sound of his voice made her head turn but its familiarity did not surprise her. It was the doctor.

"Hey." She smiled softly and in turn so did he, right before he kissed her.

"You seem to like that little girl a lot." He broke off, leaning his forehead on hers.

"Her name." She paused, smoothing his collar. "Is Alexandria. She's a smart kid."

Evelyn turned to look at the child and the bandages on her head. "In fact, too smart for her own good." She added, hinting a bit of remorse.

"Shouldn't you be doing rounds?" She spoke, turning back to the doctor with a raised brow.

"I still got a few minutes." He replied as he pulled her closer. She chuckled lightly, aware of his intentions. The man simply gave her a beguiling smile. With that, Evelyn kissed him once more.

…

For the next few days, Evelyn decided not to have anything to do with the strange pair. After that little incident, the prospect of entering the ward made her feel rather awkward-more so because it was that Roy who caught her looking. And he knew who she was. So they, but most likely _he_ knew what she was up to all along.

One morning came and nothing was short of chaotic.

A group of men- construction workers-had been rushed into the hospital and were taken to the emergency room. There had been an accident at a new building site. Although they were only a few, they had sustained injuries that were far too severe for regular circumstances. Almost all the doctors and nurses had to pitch in and the blood everywhere meant it was going to take a whole lot more than painkillers and medication.

"Ev!" A frantic nurse ran to her colleague on the porch outside the wards. Evelyn frowned in confusion as her co-worker walked up to her. "Wha-"

"It's a mess in the ER! I really got to go. Please, could you take these to Ward ten? Mister Watterson asked for some tea." Without waiting for a reply, the shaken nurse practically shoved the tray into her arms. "Oh, and take care of any leftovers!" She yelled as she ran. But as Evelyn opened her mouth to speak, the other nurse had already dashed out of sight.

_Ten? Isn't that…_

Left with no choice, Evelyn decided to do just as she was told.

…

As she entered the room, she saw her patient- a frail old man raising a skinny arm at her. Passing down the aisle, Evelyn looked to her right.

He had his eyes closed, with a book in his hand. Her guess was that he must've fallen asleep earlier, surprisingly, with the entire buzz that's been going on in the other building.

"Thank you." The old patient whispered, taking with her the tray and a plate of his leftovers.

Seeing that she had nothing left to do, the young nurse made her way towards the exit; holding the stainless steel dish carefully in her arms.

"I don't see you come here often."

Startled by the unexpected and incredibly blunt remark, she accidentally dropped the tray. "Shit." Wide-eyed and humiliated, Evelyn hurriedly picked up the utensils and apparently some of the _dignity_ she had dropped along with them.

"Huh, I didn't know nuns could cuss."

Evelyn scoffed as she heard him from behind her. Without looking, she could already imagine the lopsided smile of amusement.

"I'm not a nun. I'm just a nurse here." She said, quickly regaining composure. She stood up, stoic and rigid and turned towards the young man whose shoulders were bouncing up and down in silent laughter.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Roy replied, still recovering from the hilarity he witnessed earlier.

"It's alright." She said nonchalantly. She could not understand how she could feel nervous in this situation. Evelyn quickly noticed the empty china cup on his bedside and walked over to it. "May I?" After nodding in approval, Roy silently watched her pick up the ceramic and place it on the tray.

"So, where's Alexandria?" She said, looking down at her work.

"She went out to look for some more oranges." He replied.

"Well, I'll have to go look for her. We just ran out."

Evelyn had her eyes cast downwards for most of the time until she was finished and ready to leave. Just as she was walking out, as she was thinking she was off the hook, he called out- much to her chagrin.

"You've been watching us."

His straightforwardness had stopped her in her tracks. Silently, she scoffed.

"No, I wasn't." She turned around, immediately defensive.

"Yes. You were." Roy insisted. "Just a few days ago. I admit, you're good; I didn't know it for a while. But no other nurse comes here as often as you do, not counting the ones who are actually stationed here."

"How sure are you?" She tested him.

"Hundred percent. You're on the defensive here, plus you talk like I know you." Roy shrugged. At this point, he knew she could no longer come up with excuses.

"Hmph. Alright. So what if I've had?" She gave up and smirked.

"Nothing. Just wondering why." Evelyn looked down at his naïve expression then smiled crookedly.

" Actually, I was just curious as to why Alexandria had stopped giving me her letters. She also stopped talking to me. Just wanted to see what she's been up to."

"And you're worried?"

"No, just curious, is all. Is that a problem?" Evelyn replied as she took a seat at his bedside, looking at him with one brow raised. Roy smiled and shook his head.

"No, it's not."

She looked at him and saw that he had returned to reading his book. Hesitantly, she spoke.

"Your name is Roy, am I right?"

"Mhm. How did you know?" He replied flatly, engrossed with his book.

"Alexandria likes to talk about you." Roy smirked as he continued to read. But from the soft smile he had on for a long while after, Evelyn learned just how much that the little girl meant to him.

"And you're nurse Evelyn." He said.

"How'd you-" She paused then remembered. "Alexandria." She said as Roy placed down his book to look at her. "You know, you're her favourite nurse." He said, turning to her with a knowing smile.

Evelyn smiled too, albeit sheepishly. "I didn't really know that." For a few moments she didn't say anything else but for some reason, she wanted to stay and talk some more.

"I've heard about what happened between the two of you." She continued.

Roy froze as he remembered what had happened. He suddenly felt troubled coming up with anything to say. Finally, as his heart sank, he replied. " I didn't mean to ever hurt her. I just wanted to get her to do something for me."

His pained expression made her regret asking. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't poke into other people's business." Evelyn looked at how Roy breathed in deeply, pausing before he spoke.

"It's okay. I just, shouldn't have done that to her."

"Well, people make mistakes all the time. You could.." Evelyn trailed off, trying to find the right words to ease the tension he was building up. "learn from those mistakes and start over." She finally said and smiled. She mentally kicked herself for coming up with such 'eloquent' advice.

"Yep. Never ask a five year old to get morphine from the Dispensary." He laughed dryly. Evelyn's eyes grew wide, disturbed by the man's resolution and weird dark sense of humour. Seeing her appalled look, he countered the earlier quip. "I'm joking. I love that kid. She's very brave. Witty too."

A little relieved, Evelyn shook her head and smirked. "_Little bandit_." She murmured.

"What did you just say?" Roy quirked a brow. He began to prop himself up into a comfortable sitting position.

"Huh? What?" Evelyn muttered, unaware that she had sparked his interest.

"You just called her 'little bandit'."

"Oh, um…"

Roy's smile grew as it dawned on him. "You've also been listening in on our conversations, haven't you?"

"It's hard not to." She admitted. Roy was grinning from ear to ear. Someone else had also been listening to his stories. His smile softened as he nodded.

"I made up a story once, with a princess in it. Alexandria made you that princess."

"Hah. No way. Did she now? What did she make you?" She said.

"I was… the 'Red Bandit'." Roy replied, making grand gestures that made the nurse laugh. He seemed to have had a thing for theatrics. Of course, what could one expect from a man in showbiz?

"She really is something, Roy." Evelyn said as she shook her head with amusement.

"Yes, she is." He said, solemnity making its way back into their conversation.

"Honestly, I never knew how special she really was." Evelyn spoke lowly.

"All kids are special."

"Yeah. I know... What I mean was, I used to think all kids think the same way." Evelyn continued, idly looking at the opposite wall. "But Alexandria. I never really noticed it before, but, there's something strangely _surreal_ about her. I think you know that more than I do." She turned towards him. She had not realized that the man had leaned in a little closer.

"She saved my life." Roy quietly spoke. In return, Evelyn could only look back at the unfathomable expression in his eyes. She knew the story and he told her how it ended. The two shared a quiet moment, staring at one another.

"Evelyn." A voice called out from the doorway, breaking the silence. The doctor stood by the door, panting and disheveled- no doubt caused by the chaos around the hospital.

"We need more staff down at the ER." He said.

"Oh, alright, I'll be right there. Let me take care of this first." She replied, holding up the tray. As soon as he left, Evelyn turned to Roy. "Um, I'm sorry, I have to leave.. He's my- I mean the"

"Your boyfriend." Roy stated; the intensity in eyes, wiped off. Confused, she was about to ask when he immediately answered. "Alexandria."

"Oh, okay. I've got to go." Evelyn said as she reached the door. Roy exhaled, going back to his proper sitting position and holding up his book.

"Um, Roy?" She spoke tentatively. Once more, he looked up, brows raised in question. "It was nice talking to you. And, about what you said, I don't think you should keep blaming yourself. I know that she cares about you very much. So make it count. " Evelyn smiled at him reassuringly before she walked out.

As she made her way outside, the young nurse couldn't help but feel sentimental towards their meaningful conversation.

Roy, whom she had left so suddenly, frowned as he pondered at what she had told him. _What the princess had just told the red bandit. _It seemed that he was looking forward to meeting her some other time- soon, he hoped.

Not long after, the center of their talk had finally returned with an apple in her hand.

"They ran out of oranges." She said, having the same naïve expression she had always carried.

Roy took the apple and contemplated for a bit. He turned to his little friend, seeing the innocence in her eyes and the soulfulness of it. Smiling to himself and making room for Alexandria, he knew he had to make it count.


End file.
